I love bikes, they’re really healthy, practical and simply refreshing. I’ve always wished to go to work and back home using a bike. But every time this idea crosses my mind, I can’t help feeling insecure. I mean, I’d be killed so easily if I used one in a main street 😛 Which got me wondering, why don’t Arab countries have special routes for bikes? And I’m not talking about the special “biking places” where you can ride a bike as a hobby in a certain limited area, almost all Arab countries have those. But I’m talking about the biking-routes which are used for transportation just like cars.
I’ve never been to an Arabic country which has special routes for bikes all across it, maybe there is, but I personally don’t know. In Tunisia for example, there are places that have special paths, but not all places have them.
I know that there are some countries in which biking can be so tiresome and might even end up as a torture rather than a pleasant transportation device, like sunny countries of very high temperatures, or countries with many “ups & downs”. But what about the ones with a biking-suitable surface? It should be reconsidered, because when routes like this exist people will be more encouraged to use bikes instead of cars. This will decrease both traffic and pollution. On the other hand it will make it safer for those who cannot afford cars and already have bikes to use them.
There are times when you have to go get something from a certain place, which isn’t that close for you to go on foot, nor that far to start your car, a bike would be enjoyable in that case. There are times when you feel like going somewhere, but you think the weather is too beautiful to be missed when you’re in the car. There are times when you simply feel like enjoying a bike trip with friends or family, you feel like refreshing your energy and tanking in more sun rays, would there be something better than a bike?
Also for children, whose schools are in the neighborhood, why not use a bike to go there? They’ll be more active, healthier, and will save the parents the time of dropping them in and picking them up.
There are so many good reasons to use bikes instead of cars, I’m not saying to replace cars completely, coz that’s impossible in so many cases. But why don’t we use them from time to time, or every time we go to close places, when weather is ok?
I really wish we’ll be having bike routes with their own signs and maps soon in all Arab countries, and I’ll be the first to use them 🙂 .